-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From street corners , buses and subways to phone calls , e-mails , text messages , online posts and tweets , people around the world commented , pondered , and paid tribute to pop legend Michael Jackson , who died Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles .

Pedestrians in Sydney , Australia , watch a TV screen announcing Michael Jackson 's death on Friday .

Around midnight at London 's Leicester Square , as news of Jackson 's death spread , Luis Carlos Ameida and his friends were surrounding a car listening to the star 's music .

Ameida said he 'd gotten tickets to see Jackson at his `` This Is It '' concerts beginning on July 13 in London .

`` From a young age , you know , I used to have the video game , '' said Ameida . `` I used to have the white suit , and I 'd wear it on my birthday . I used to moonwalk ... I remember my mum used to send me to lessons to be like Michael Jackson . And when I heard the news , I had tears in my eyes because of that connection I had because of all the songs he used to play . ''

In Glastonbury , southern England , where one of the world 's largest music festivals was to kick off Friday morning , initial rumors and then confirmation of Jackson 's death added to confusion and then shock among festival goers . Watch British fans react ''

`` As I was walking back through the crowd it was the word on everyone 's lips , '' Sally Anne Aldous , 29 , told CNN over the phone . Reaction from around the world in pictures ''

Backstage , Michael Jackson songs were being played in tribute , and fans talked of an impromptu memorial for the late singer at the `` Stone Circle , '' a neolithic monument in the grounds of the venue .

In Adelaide , Australia , Christos Winter of the MJ Fan Club had organized a petition to bring Jackson to tour there . `` It did n't matter if you were 60 , 40 or 20 like I am . Michael Jackson 's music just spoke to everyone ... It was always uplifting and happy music , '' Winter told CNN .

On a street in New Delhi , India , 31-year-old Sachina Verma said on Friday , `` Any of the baby boomer generation or , you know , people from my age or our time , I mean they have grown up on his music . Literally , people have been inspired by his dance movements , by his music .

Tributes appeared on YouTube and CNN 's iReport .

`` I remember growing up in the Middle East , influenced , enjoying his music , waiting for his albums , '' CNN iReporter Rany Freeman , an Egyptian living in Canada , said in a video submission . `` Regardless to his strange behaviors or questionable events that happened to his life , let 's remember him as the great entertainer he was . ''

Another iReporter , Peter Maiyoh , a Kenyan student studying in the U.S. city of Kansas , Missouri , called Jackson `` the voice of change , '' saying `` he was there before Tiger Woods , before Michael Jordan , even before Barack Obama ... I hope people remember him for the work he did . ''

On a Facebook page dedicated to Michael Jackson , fans across the world left hundreds of messages in languages ranging from French and Spanish to Japanese and Hebrew . Watch fan reaction in Tokyo , Japan ''

`` SHANGHAI WILL MISS YOU ! NOT JUST SHANGHAI ! . . EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD WILL MISS YOU ! WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL !!! '' wrote Vrishti Bhowmik .

Kase Ng , a 24-year-old manicurist and member of the Michael Jackson Hong Kong Fan Club , told CNN by phone she had been planning to go with four friends to his August 1 concert in London . Watch fans in Hong Kong , China , react ''

Expressing sadness and shock over Jackson 's death , Ng recalled being inspired by an interview he once gave to Oprah Winfrey . `` He said if you have power , try to give it back and help the others , and I will try to do that , '' she said .

At a music store in Beijing , China , Jackson songs were being played , and his albums were put on special display . `` I rather enjoyed it -LRB- his music -RRB- because in my family my brother 's generation likes his music , '' said customer Xu Wei . `` Many , many people in China like him a lot . '' Watch reaction from around the world

Although Jackson never played in mainland China , his music was among the first in the West made available there , as the peak of his popularity during the 1980s coincided with the opening up of the communist country .

On Friday , Chinese netizens had set up a Web site memorial to Jackson , and on Fanfou.com , China 's version of Twitter , the pop star has become the most popular tag .

Fanfou user Layla Suen , or `` Leilajiang , '' of Shenyang city in Liaoning province wrote about her memories of Jackson : `` When I was only four , my brother demanded that I learn his ` Thriller . ' It was the second song I 've ever learnt -LRB- the first one being something taught by the kindergarten teacher -RRB- . Everytime I sing it at my kindergarten it would scare a bunch of little children . ''

Chinese blogger and media commentator Michael Anti wrote on his Facebook page : `` So sad about Jackson 's Death , for my English first name is really named after him when I was a freshman . ''

Ethan Zuckerman , a fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University , tweeted in the hour after Jackson 's death was announced , `` My twitter search script sees roughly 15 % of all posts on Twitter mentioning Michael Jackson . Never saw Iran or swine flu reach over 5 % . ''

As Jackson 's death quickly overshadowed all else Friday , commentators worried that the world would forget about political developments in Iran .

`` Am I the only one who thinks that Michael Jackson 's passing is the worst thing that could have happened to the protesters in Iran ? '' wrote Melissa Cohen , or mcohen00 , on Twitter .

CNN 's Emily Chang , Jaime FlorCruz , Miranda Leitsinger , Mairi Mackay , Linnie Rawlinson and Bharati Naik contributed to this report .

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Fans across the world remark on Jackson 's music

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Postings on Twitter express concern Jackson will overshadow Iran

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`` I remember growing up in the Middle East ... waiting for his albums , '' iReporter says

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Chinese netizens set up Web site memorial for Jackson